December 2008

Dearest Family and Friends, Well, it is that time again ... time for my annual Christmas letter.  I have found it is easier to send a letter than cards, and also this way everyone can catch up on all that has been happening in my life and in my family over the past year.  Why does it seem each year seems to go by faster and faster?  Weren't we just celebrating Christmas 2006 or was it 2007? Again, this has been a busy year for me.  As you may remember, October 2007 I threw Daddy a surprise party for his birthday, so when Mama's birthday came around in January I wanted to do something similar for her. I had a surprise luncheon for her at Sizzlers.  She thought that my sister, Vicki, and I were taking her out for lunch and was really surprised when we got to the restaurant and all of her friends and many of the ladies from the church were there.  After our lunch, the waitresses brought out her cake, put a coffee filter on her head for a hat and sang Happy Birthday to her.  It was so much fun and Mama really enjoyed all the attention. January became a month of doctor and emergency room visits.  Daddy was back on chemo for his Multiple-Myleoma Bone Cancer, a trip to the ER for what turned out to be a bad case of Vertigo, and I had a gall bladder attack.  Praise the Lord, I was able to handle it with diet and a gall bladder flush and didn't have to have it removed.  It sure was painful though!  Then in February, we had Mama in ER for what turned out to be a bad bladder infection.  She was bleeding from it but had no other pain or symptoms.

In February, I got a new car!  I had taken my '06 Escape in for it's 30,000 mile check and while it was being serviced at the local Ford dealership, I was looking around at the new cars, especially the new Escape.  Of course, I was approached by a salesman and I told him up front I was NOT going to buy a new car, I just couldn't afford it.  He offered to let me take one for a test drive anyway.  I had nothing but time to waste so I agreed.  When we got back, he asked me if I'd like to drive that '08 Escape home.  I laughed at him and told him again, I could not afford a new car. Actually, this one was not brand new, it was a 'Factory Certified' used car, with only 14,000 miles on it.  It had belonged to Hertz, and they do take good care of their cars.  Well, he had the Sales Manager come out and talk to me, and he got the same response, "I couldn't afford a new car!"  Then they had another man come out and talk to me.  I finally said, "I'll tell you what, my '06 Escape is in being serviced.  If you want to trade me keys, and not raise my payments I will take the '08 home."  I also insisted that it have running boards so Mama could get in/out easier.  They said that would not be a problem, they could take them off my '06 and put them on the '08.  Next came the Finance Manager and who also got the same response from me.  He said he would see what he could do and went back inside.  I knew they weren't going to go for it, and I had prayed about it and told the Lord that if He wanted me to have that '08 Escape, He would work it out.  To make a long story short, HE DID!  I was able to get the new car with only $150 down, and my payments did go up, but only $5 a month!  And for the running boards .. the ones on the '06 did not fit the new car, so they had to give me new ones, at no charge.  That was part of the deal, running boards at no charge.

In March, the folks got to go flying right off their runway here on the property.   Daddy had mentioned to his friend, Charlie, that he would really like to go up in an open-air cockpit plane again.  Charlie knew just the fellow to take Daddy up and arranged for him to come and take him flying.  Although he hadn't been feeling real good because of his chemo treatments, Daddy was able to go flying.  He was so excited that morning and could hardly wait for the plane to arrive.  Many of the folks friends and neighbors (including 2 of the neighbors goats) came over for the event.  Both Daddy and Mama got to go up and Daddy even got to fly the plane, which he really enjoyed.  They had a really had a good time!  See their flights on Let's Go Flying!

In April I was able to get away for a weekend.  My cousin, Hal, came down from Washington state and we went to southern California to see the Crimson River Quartet, a Southern Gospel group I really enjoy.  As always, they put on a wonderful concert at a church in Lake Forest.  We stayed in Simi Valley and were able to visit with Craig and Ryan, my friends in Simi, and then attend the church I had gone to when I lived there.  I really enjoyed my time with Craig and Ryan.  I hadn't seen them in over a year and couldn't get over how much Ryan had grown.  And as always it was good to see old friends and attend church where I had gone for nearly 20 years. You may remember last year that folks, Hal and I made a trip to southern California and were able to visit Mama's nieces, Lilli and Gaby and their families.  This year, they surprised the folks by coming up here for Mother's Day.  Craig and Ryan were also came up, which was a real surprise to me, as I had just seen them.  It was really a nice weekend and one for the memory books.  Vicki was also able to join us, but unfortunately, Troy and his family and Vicki's sons, Chris and Casey weren't able to be with all of us.  The only sad part of the weekend was that the folks 18 year old Weimaraner was failing and two days later we had to have her put to sleep.

As I do all the driving for the folks, Daddy decided to sell his van in May before it came up for renewal in June.  The only time it was driven was when we took trash to the dump about every 6 weeks.  Of course with the van gone, we had to arrange for trash pickup, which is a bit more expensive, but the folks were able to drop the insurance on the van and not have to register and smog it again.  Now Daddy has a golf cart he drives around the property and to take the trash down to the street.  He does miss having his own car at times, but for the most part is content with me doing all the driving.

In June, I was able to take another trip to Washington to see Hal and to attend my step-son, Russ' wedding. My granddaughter, Kolbie, was the flower girl so I was also able to see Troy and his family, which was the highlight of the trip for me.  With them living so far away I don't get to see them often so really enjoy the time I can spend with them.  It was only a weekend trip but a full one and I enjoyed getting away for a few days.

After Daddy was taken off the chemo that had made him so sick, weak and tired, he and Mama and I were able to take a vacation!   Our neighbor girl, Olivia, agreed to take care of my dog, Sugar.  We flew from Sacramento to Seattle on July 21st, where Hal picked us up.  He had rented a really nice, comfortable car for the folks and would be driving us back to California instead of us flying back.  As you may remember, we had some really bad fires here in northern CA this spring.  It got so smoky out that we had to stay in the house as the air outside was not good to breathe.  Even during our flight we were able to see some of them, still burning for several weeks, from the plane. During the almost 2 weeks that we were gone, we really got to see and do a lot.  It meant so much to me to have this special time with my parents.  It had been years, since I was a child, that I had taken a vacation with them.  We had lunch on top of the Space Needle, rode the Ducks, an amphibious vehicle that drove us around Seattle for a tour and then into Lake Union.  We also visited the Boeing Museum of Flight before taking a ferry over to Port Angeles to see Hal's property and what he was doing there. While on the Olympic Pensuila, we went to Hurricane Ridge, where the folks had taken my sister and I about 50 years ago ... YIKEs!, had it really been that long??? ... LOL.  We also went out to the Hoh Rain Forest.  After leaving Port Angeles, we headed back to Seattle on the ferry and then started our drive back down to California.  On the way we went to Mount St. Helens.  Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day and we really couldn't see the top of the mountain, but did enjoy our visit to the Visitors Center and what we were able to see of the mountain.  Next, our trip took is to the Evergreen Aviation Museum where the Spruce Goose is housed.  Mama was tired and not feeling well, so she and I stayed in the car (she slept) while Daddy and Hal went in and toured the Museum.  We also got to see a friend of mine, Sharon and her husband Roger in Grants Pass, Oregon.  Sharon and I attended high school together and although we keep in touch via phone and email, I hadn't seen her in years and really enjoyed the visit with them. By the time we left Oregon, it was obvious Mama was going to need to see a doctor.  She had not been drinking water and was dehydrating badly.  So instead of coming down the California coast as we had planned, we headed straight for home.  Mama was getting worse by the minute and Daddy's ankles were swelling and he was short of breath.  I was really concerned about both of them.  Before getting home, we stopped at Kaiser ER in Roseville, and BOTH the folks were admitted ... Mama for dehydration, and Daddy for fluid in the lungs, and on the ankles.  They were draining fluid off Daddy and hydrating Mama.  Both of them were in the hospital for 3 days. Mama did better for a couple of weeks, but in mid-August we had to have her put on Hospice Care. It was a difficult decision, but a good one in hindsight. The nurses, home-care health aids and social worker were all wonderful and such a blessing.  On August 31st at 12:30 in the morning Mama passed away. Daddy, my sister, Vicki, her son, Casey, and I were all at her bedside as she drew her last breath.  She passed peacefully and wasn't in any pain.

The next week was a hustle of activity.  There were phone calls to make, people to notify, service arrangements to make, etc.  The folks friends and neighbors brought food, sent flowers and cards, all of which were greatly appreciated.  Hal arrived from Washington a few hours after Mama passed and was such a help to us. We had a Celebration of Life Service for Mama at my church, Bible Baptist of Placerville with my pastor, John Labins officiating.  The church was full and the service was beautiful.  Pictures were shown of Mama through the years, people gave testimony of what she had meant in their lives and Pastor gave a wonderful message.  Both of Vicki's sons were able to make the service, but only my son, Craig and grandson, Ryan, were able to come.  Troy was really upset that Mama had passed but due to commitments and work there in Idaho, he wasn't able to make it.

Per her wishes, Mama was creamated, and on October 17th, we had her ashes buried at the Sacramento Valley National VA Cemetery in Dixon, about 75 miles from here.  (run your cursor over the picture of her headstone to see what it reads) Since then, things here have slowed down to a dull roar.  Being off the chemo, Daddy is doing better, but he still tires easily and probably always will.  That is due to his bone cancer, and I am sure his congestive heart failure adds to it as well. We have just had a cord and a half of wood delivered and a wonderful neighbor and Hal split it.  YES, I stack wood!  It does play havoc with my back, but Daddy isn't able to do that anymore, so Hal and I did it.  At least we will be warm this winter ... and yes, I build fires too!

Christmas will be lonely without Mama this year, as was Thanksgiving, but we KNOW she is spending it with Jesus this year.  We look forward to the time that our Lord will call us home to be with Him, with Mama, with my son, Bryan, my grandson, Andrew, and all the other friends and relatives that have gone on before us. All of the grandchildren seem to be doing well.  William and Destiny are still in Colorado.  I haven't had any contact with Destiny this year, but I do talk to William.  He is doing well and says Destiny is also.  Of course we still have no contact with Troy's son, Anthony, who is 15 now and lives in Arizona with his mother, step-father and half-sister.  Craig's son, Ryan, and Troy's daughter, Austyn, both started Kindergarden this year.  I can't believe all the grandchildren are getting as big as they are!

I want to wish each and every one of you the Merriest Christmas ever and many blessings in the year to come. With Love, Cathy Return to Cathy's Christmas Cottage © 2008 - Cathy